Electronic musical instrument



Jan. 11, 1966 F. P. M. BASCHET ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed June 10, 1963 FIGI AMPLIFIER RECORDING DEVICE INVENTCIR FRANCOIS P|ERRE MAURICE BASCHET ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,229,021 ELECTRONIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Francois Pierre Maurice Bascliet, 38 Rue Boileau, Paris, France Filed June 10, 1963, Ser. No. 286,543

iaims priority, application France, Mar. 12, 1957,

733,963, Patent 1,314,352

9 Claims. (Cl. 841.14)

This application is a continuation-impart of my copending application Ser. No. 720,685, now Patent No. 3,101,022, which was filed on March 11, 1958, and directed to a compound musical instrument.

The object of my invention is an instrument producing musical sound-s having -a new timber and quality of tone.

The present invention has for its object a musical instrument comprising a metal carrier bar, a plurality of generators of tuned vibrations composed of metallic rods one end of each of which is rigidly connected to said carrier bar so as to have a node of vibration at the connecting point thereof, said carrier bar having a mass such that it is incapable of undergoing any substantial shifting in space under the action of vibrations imparted thereto by said generators, said generators when set in vibratory motion imparting to said carrier bar vibrations corresponding to the tuned frequency thereof, at least one microphone associated with said carrier bar, an electronic amplifier fed by the current of said microphone, restituting means fed by said electronic amplifier and means for imparting vibrations to said generators of tuned vibrations.

According to another feature of the present invention the microphone associated with the carrier bar is of a piezoelectric type used for measurement of mechanical accelerations.

According to another feature of the present invention the microphone associated with the carrier bar is of the electromagnetic or electrodyna-mic type, one part of which is carried by a pedestal and the other part of which is fast with the carrier bar.

According to one embodiment of this invention the restituting means comprise at least one loudspeaker.

gages each metallic rod in a substantially perpendicular direction so that when the rod member is longitudinally energized or rubbed, the corresponding metallic rod is set into vibratory motion.

According to still another feature of the present invention, the vibration-imparting means include a percussion member adapted to strike said generator to set same into vibratory motion.

I will now describe two embodiments of my invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings given by way of example and by no means in a binding sense. In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective diagrammatic view of an instrument of the percussion type with a loud-speaker restituting arrangement;

FIG. 2 is a view of a detail of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective diagrammatic view of an instrument comprising vibration-imparting means including a rod member with a recording restituting arrangem-ent.

The musical instrument illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a mounting means including two opposite pedestal 1 car- 3,229,021 Patented Jan. 11, 1966 ice rying, on the one hand, the actual musical instrument, and on the other hand the means for striking the latter. The two opposite pedestals 1 (only one being shown) forming the mounting means are rigid with two aligned metal brackets 2 carrying a vertical spindle 3 also made of metal. Over said spindle are fitted washers 4 and 5 (FIG. 2) which are preferably made respectively of soft wood 4 and of lead 5 so as to form vibration-absorbing means. An upper washer 6 of a smaller diameter is fitted between the spindle 3 and the bore provided at one end of a Hat metallic member 7 forming the carrier bar of the instrument resting on the washer system 4-5. Different means may be provided for securing the carrier bar to the pedestal while ensuring however a suitable insulation so as to transmit a vibratory energy reduced to a minimum from the carrier bar to the pedestal.

In the carrier bar 7 there are fitted parallel metal rods 8 of which the lengths are selected so that each of them vibrates at a predetermined frequency. In the case of a musical instrument adapted to play pieces of music written on a conventional scale, each rod is tuned so as to vibrate at the frequency of a note of said scale, but it is also possible to select any other desired scale of frequencies. Said rods are consequently considered as tuned which means that each rod vibrates at a predetermined frequency without said frequency being necessarily a frequency forming part of a diatonic or chromatic scale.

To the carrier bar 7 is furthermore secured a microphone 9 of the known type used for measuring mechani cal acceleration, i.e., comprising a piezoelectric crystal associated with a free weight so as to produce a current proportional to the accelerating force. The microphonic current produced is fed to an electronic amplifier 10 which in its turn feeds a loud-speaker 11.

The striking means comprise hammers 13 each being carried in registry with the corresponding metal rod 8 by a bell crank lever 14. All the bell crank levers are pivotally carried at their apices by a common carrier spindle 15. Levers 16, the number of which corresponds with that of the bell crank levers 14, are furthermore pivot-ally carried by a common carrier spindle 17 parallel with the spindle 15, said levers 16 forming each at one end a piano key 18, while the other end forms a lever arm 19 on which rests a pus-her member 20 cooperating with the arm of the bell crank lever 14 facing away from the arm carrying the hammer 13.

Upon depression of a key 18, the corresponding hammer 13 strikes the rod 8 which starts vibrating at its natural frequency. The vibratory energy is transmitted through the carrier bar 7, to the microphone 9 which transforms said vibratory energy in a modulated current which controls the amplifier 9 which in its turn feeds the loud-speaker 12.

The musical instrument illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a frame or trestle 21 comprising an assembly of flat metallic bars welded or connected together and carrying by means of ropes or similar elements 22, 23, 24 of which some may be elastic, a fiat metallic member 25 forming the carrier bar. Said fiat metallic member 25 is provided with a plurality of tapped holes inside which are screwed threaded bars 26 which are each locked in position by a nut 27. Over each threaded bar 26 is fitted a plate 28 forming a counterweight and held fast at an adjustable point of said threaded bars 26 by nuts 29 disposed on each side thereof. Said counterweights 28 are adapted to adjust in accordance with the different lengths of the corresponding bars 26 the natural frequency of vibration of said bars with a view to tuning them. Each bar carries furthermore a metal plate 31 held fast therein between two nuts 30. Plate 31 is somewhat elastic and terminates with a sleeve 32 inside which is fitted the The coil 37 of said microphone is connected to the entry terminals of an electronic amplifier 39 which in its turn feeds a recording device 40 of any known type, e.g., a magnetic tape recorder.

The playing of said instrument is performed by longitudinally rubbing with ones fingers the rod 33 which starts the corresponding bar 26 vibrating at its natural frequency. The vibratory energy is transmitted by the carrier bar 25 and rod 35, and transformed by the microphonic arrangement into a modulated current which is amplified by the amplifier 39 and used in the recording device 40 to produce a record of any known type.

What I claim is:

1. A musical instrument comprising a metal carrier bar, a plurality of generators of tuned vibrations including metal rods one end of each of which is rigidly connected to said carrier bar so as to have a node of vibration at the connecting point thereof, said carrier bar having a mass such that it is incapable of undergoing any substantial shifting in space under the action of the vibrations imparted thereto by said generators, said generators when set in vibratory motion imparting to said carrier bar vibrations corresponding to the tuned vibrations thereof, at least one microphone associated with said carrier bar to pick up the vibratory energy in the carrier bar, an electronic amplifier fed by the current of said microphone, restituting means fed by said electronic amplifier, and means for imparting vibrations to said generators of tuned vibrations.

2. A musical instrument according to claim 1 in which the restituting means include at least one loud-speaker.

3. A musical instrument according to claim 1 in which the restituting means include recording means.

4. A musical instrument comprising a metal carrier bar, a plurality of generators of tuned vibrations including metal rods one end of each of which is rigidly connected to said carrier bar so as to have a node of vibration at the connecting point thereof, said carrier bar having a mass such that it is incapable of undergoing any substantial shifting in space under the action of the vibrations imparted thereto by said generators, said generators when set in vibratory motion imparting to said carrier bar vibrations corresponding to the tuned vibrations thereof, at least a piezoelectric microphone of the type used for measurement of mechanical accelerations associated with said carrier bar to pick up the vibratory energy in the carrier bar, an electronic amplifier fed by the current of said microphone, restituting means fed by said electronic amplifier, and means for imparting vibrations to said generators of tuned vibrations.

5. A musical instrument according to claim 4 in which the restituting means include at least one loud-speaker.

6. A musical instrument according to claim 4 in which the restituting means include recording means.

7. A musical instrument comprising mounting means including pedestals, a metal carrier bar, vibration absorbing means connecting said pedestals and said metal carrier bar, a plurality of each of generators of tuned vibrations including metal rods one end of which is rigidly connected to said carrier bar so as to have a node of vibration at the connecting point thereof, said carrier bar having a mass such that it is incapable of undergoing any substantial shifting in space under the action of the vibrations imparted thereto by said generators, said generators when set in vibratory motion imparting to said carrier bar vibrations corresponding to the tuned vibrations thereof, at least a microphone of the type comprising two relatively movable parts, means connecting one of said microphone movable parts to the metal carrier oar to pick up the vibratory energy in the carrier bar, means connecting the other microphone movable part to the mounting means, an electronic amplifier fed by the current of said microphone, restituting means fed by said electronic amplifier, and means for imparting vibrations to said generators of tuned vibrations.

8. A musical instrument according to claim 7 in which the restituting means include at least one loud-speaker.

9. A musical instrument according to claim 7 in which the restituting means include recording means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,915,858 6/1933 Miessner. 2,148,796 5/1937 Barbieri. 2,228,881 1/1941 Le Clair 841.14 2,309,703 2/1943 Lovell et al 841.14 X 2,382,413 8/1945 Hanert. 3,077,137 2/1963 Miessner 84-114 X DAVID J. GALVIN, Primary Examiner. ARTHUR GAUSS, Examiner. 

1. A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A METAL CARRIER BAR, A PLURALITY OF GENERATORS OF TUNED VIBRATIONS INCLUDING METAL RODS ONE OF EACH OF WHICH IS RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO SAID CARRIER BAR SO AS TO HAVE A NODE OF VIBRATION AT THE CONNECTING POINT THEREOF, SAID CARRIER BAR HAVING A MASS SUCH THAT IT IS INCAPABLE OF UNDERGOING ANY SUBSTANTIAL SHIFTING IN SPACE UNDER THE ACTION OF THE VIBRATIONS IMPARTED THERETO BY SAID GENERATORS, SAID GENERATORS WHEN SET IN VIBRATORY MOTION IMPARTING TO SAID CARRIER BAR VIBRATIONS CORRESPONDING TO THE TUNED VIBRATIONS THEREOF, AT LEAST ONE MICROPHONE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID CARRIER BAR TO PICK UP THE VIBRATORY ENERGY IN THE CARRIER BAR, AN ELECTRONIC AMPLIFIER FED BY THE CURRENT OF SAID MICROPHONE, RESTITUTING MEANS FED BY SAID ELECTRONIC AMPLIFIER, AND MEANS FOR IMPARTING VIBRATIONS TO SAID GENERATORS OF TUNED VIBRATIONS. 